Thyroid Recipe: Streusel Pears

About this recipe

These autoimmune protocol (AIP) compliant baked pears have only six ingredients and are ready in under an hour! It's a super easy recipe, perfect for dessert or special occasion breakfast. 

Something magical happens when you bake fruit. That caramelization of natural sugars combined with that natural glaze the fruit juices make when the fruit softens in the oven is pure bliss.

Add a golden brown streusel crumble on top, and maybe a scoop of your favorite dairy-free ice cream, and oh man, are you in for a treat!

This dessert is naturally gluten-free, nut-free, seed-free, coconut free, and dairy-free. 

It's a perfectly simple yet elegant dish to make ahead for all of your allergy-friendly holiday parties. Just be sure to make a double batch and save some for yourself—because these will get gobbled up fast at your next potluck or family meal!

Thyroid-healthy ingredients

Pears

Pears are total thyroid powerhouses! They pack a nutrient punch with their vitamins C, K, potassium, copper, folate, provitamin A, and niacin. One medium pear has about 6 grams of fiber to help things "move along" (especially helpful with one of the common hypothyroidism symptoms—constipation).

Unpeeled pears are full of soluble and insoluble fibers that can help promote balanced gut microflora by feeding the healthy bacteria in your gut. Go gut health!

Consuming pears with the skin on doesn't boast just fiber benefits, though. Red-skinned pears contain anthocyanins, which in studies has shown an association with good heart health. The green-skinned pears contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect your vision.  

You'll also find flavonoid antioxidants in pears, which can help to reduce thyroid-damaging inflammation. Enjoy pears raw or cooked with the skin on to reap the benefits of this succulent and delicious fruit! 

Cassava flour

Also known as yuca, cassava is a root vegetable. It has become increasingly popular in grain-free, gluten-free, and Paleo communities because it works as an excellent replacement for gluten-laden all-purpose flour made from bleached wheat.  

If you are thinking of eliminating grains to see if it benefits you, consider trying cassava flour. It has a slightly earthy and nutty flavor. Still, it has a neutral taste and a finely powdered, soft texture that makes it an excellent substitute for grain flours. Try using it to make grain-free tortillas, biscuits, a gravy thickener, or even a dusting for pan-fried fish. In this recipe, we use it as a base for the confectionary streusel crumble.

Tigernut flour

Tiger what? Tigernuts are not nuts, but rather prebiotic fiber-rich tiny little tubers! (Think teensy weensy sweet potatoes.) When dried and ground into flour, tigernuts lend a nutty flavor and a slight crunch to your baked goodies. 

Tigernuts are suitable for feeding the beneficial bacteria in your gut, too. Tip: If you are new to prebiotics, and probiotics respectively, be sure to start introducing them slowly and in small amounts not to upset your GI, especially if you have sensitive digestion already. Too much too soon of a good thing can cause gas, bloating, and digestive disturbances. Not to worry, this recipe calls for only a small amount of tigernut flour, so it may just be the perfect dish for you to try tigernuts or prebiotics for the first time!

Palm shortening

Palm shortening is a cooking-stable palm oil. Some of the unsaturated fats have been removed from the oil, creating a velvety and thick texture. This makes for luxurious baking confectionaries as if you had cooked it with common vegetable shortening, but minus the icky trans fats. 

When buying palm shortening, stick to brands that are non-GMO and ethically and sustainably sourced. You can also substitute refined coconut oil for palm shortening. It will still come out super yummy, but please note that the crumble's texture will not be as flaky, and it will be denser.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is naturally sugar-free and a good source of fiber, vitamin K, iron, manganese, and calcium. It also has antioxidant properties, which are great for staving off both acute and chronic inflammation. Cinnamon can positively affect hormone-driven health issues like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and Hashimoto's. Insulin resistance can trigger the hormone fluctuations that can exacerbate autoimmunity, but keeping your blood sugar stable helps balance out those hormones. In an eight-week study of 15 women with PCOS who consumed oral cinnamon extract, significant reductions in fasting glucose and insulin-resistance parameters were both shown. 

Streusel pears recipe

Warm, juicy pears with a golden-brown maple and cinnamon crumb topping. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 2 large Bartlett pears, semi-ripe

• ¼ cup cassava flour

• 2 Tbsp tigernut flour

• 1 ½ Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar

• ⅛ tsp Himalayan salt

• ⅛ tsp cinnamon

• 5 Tbsp palm shortening (sustainable, non-GMO)
  

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of your oven, and heat to 375 F.
2. Line a small sheet pan with parchment.
3. Slice pears in half lengthwise, then use a 1 Tb cookie scoop or a spoon to remove the stems, seeds, and blossom ends.
4. Make the skin-sides even and able to lay flat by slicing off a small circle of skin. This will keep the pear halves from rolling around on the pan and keep the crumble topping level as it bakes.
5. Place the pears halves on the sheet pan skin-side down.
6. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then cut in the shortening with a fork.
7. Divide the crumble into four sections, then sprinkle each section loosely over each pear half.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and pears have softened.

‍

Alternatives‍

• Try changing up the flavors a bit and get creative with topping ideas!

• To the crumble mix, stir in the zest of ½ an orange and substitute 2 tablespoons of carob for 2 tablespoons of the cassava flour.

• Or try adding in the zest of 1 small lemon and ¼ teaspoon ground pure vanilla bean.

• You can even use apples instead of pears if you don't have any pears on hand.

‍

These streusel pears are delectable when served with berry sorbet! If you can have coconut: whipped, chilled coconut cream is a great accompaniment to this dessert!

Your guests may think you took hours preparing this because it looks so decadent. Go ahead, whip up a batch with only about five minutes of prep time. Then let the oven do the rest of the work while you relax and enjoy some Streusel Pear "cooking-aromatherapy" that fills your home with the warm, inviting aroma of the season.